The effect of endurance training and Ziziphus jujube extract consumption on apoptosis of cardiac tissue in male Wistar rats

Apoptosis is a highly regulated process that ensures the tissue and cellular homeostasis. This study aimed at investigating the effect of endurance training and the Ziziphus jujube extract consumption on apoptosis of cardiac tissue in male Wistar rats. In this experimental study, 32 male Wistar rats aged 8-12 weeks (weighing 195 mg±7.94) were randomly divided into four groups: control, jujube extract, endurance training and endurance training-jujube extract. A moderate endurance training program was conducted for eight weeks and five sessions per week. Rats were received a daily dose of 600 mg/kg of the extract orally. The gene expression of anexin-5 and caspase-3 in cardiac tissue was measured by the real-time PCR. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean weight of the heart tissue of male Wistar rats among different groups (P<0.001). Changes in anexin-5 expression of the cardiac tissue in training-supplementation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.012). Also, the results showed that changes in caspase-3 expression of the cardiac tissue in supplementation (P<0.001), training (P<0.013) and training-supplementation (P<0.0001) groups were significantly lower than the changes in the control group (P<0.012). According to the findings of this study, it seems that endurance training and jujube extract consumption can have an interactive effect in reducing apoptosis of the cardiac tissue.